


With the Swing of a Pendulum

by PerformapalWriter



Series: Yu-Gi-Oh: Arc of Light and Madness [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Crossover, Jaden mentors Yuya, Jaden tastes the wrath of yuzus paper fan, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, first installment third in series, or maybe its the other way around, this is like New Hope, umm more tags as this series goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25743421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerformapalWriter/pseuds/PerformapalWriter
Summary: Jaden Yuki, chasing a vision, has just arrived on the mean streets of Maiami, you have to work hard to be the best. There, he bears witness to a miracle: Pendulum summoning- magic never before seen. But soon, he becomes entangled with a story bigger than his own. Join us as lies and truths are revealed within an arc of light, beginning with the swing of a pendulum...
Relationships: Hiiragi Yuzu/Sakaki Yuya, Jaden Yuki & Yuya Sakaki, Kurosaki Ruri/Yuto, Rin/Yugo (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Series: Yu-Gi-Oh: Arc of Light and Madness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867417
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. The Herald Witnesses a Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh GX, or Yu-gi-oh Arc V all rights belong to their respectful owners.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-OeoMPYtIRovZulkOWMqzmPwd1rVy1h/view?usp=sharing <\- Link to focus art for the first part of the series.

* * *

"Jaden?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yep."

"Positive?"

"Totally."

"...Perhaps it was just a dream?"

"Nope! Trust me Aqua. It wasn't."

Aqua Dolphin could only sigh and massage his temples.

"Give it up Aqua."

"You know how he's like when he gets like this."

The spirit turned to meet the gaze of his fellow heroes' Neos, Burstinatrix, and Avian. Avian continued, "We know that you are worried, but Jaden is smart-"

"And a capable warrior," Burstinatrix interrupted.

"And he has us if needed," Neos added.

Aqua made a sound at the back of his throat; he despised getting outnumbered in this manner. A loud meow broke Aqua from his sulking, causing him to look down to find Pharaoh sitting at his feet. The two held their gaze until the cat decided that it had enough and curled into Jaden's lap.

"See, even Pharaoh thinks you're worrying too much," Avian stated.

Finally, Aqua's shoulder's slumped. "All right fine, but if anything happens, don't say I didn't warn you." And with that, the Neo-Spacian disappeared back into their partner's deck.

When Aqua Dolphin was gone, the remaining three gave a collective sigh.

"Well, he's more uptight than normal," Burstinatrix huffed.

"Can you blame him?" Neos arched his non-existent eyebrow at the fiery heroine, "We're not supposed to be here."

With Neos's words, the air between the three spirits became stiff. Their fellow hero was right, they weren't supposed to be here. Not with everything going on currently. If Jaden's identity were to get exposed...

"We can only hope that Winged Kuriboh returns soon," Avian said, turning his attention to the Colosseum below. The other two nodded as all three spirits disappeared back into Jaden's deck.

Meanwhile, Jaden didn't notice. The young summoner was solely focused on the battle raging below.

* * *

A week ago, Jaden had awoken with a shout. His eyes wide and gold- mumbling something about dragons and pendulums. He immediately jumped out of bed and began packing. Jaden was still in his nightshirt when Bubbleman resorted to using his bubble gun, drenching him and finally getting his attention. Once in a dry set of clothes, Jaden finally revealed the reason for his erratic behavior. He had a dream. But as Jaden explained, it was no ordinary dream. It was intense. Very intense. To the point that it made him nauseous. And real. Very, very real.

After some prompting from Winged Kuriboh, Jaden reluctantly began describing his dream.

He was in a dark place, nothing but black as far as the eye could see. But this darkness was strange. It felt malicious: But shattered in a way Jaden couldn't describe. From behind him came an earth-shattering roar. The darkness quaked. Quickly, he snapped his head around, coming face to face with a set of burning yellow eyes towering over him. Usually, he could understand Duel Spirits and similar creatures of that nature. However, he was getting nothing from this beast. He attempted to call upon his power of the Gentle Darkness and Neos to protect himself; however, he found himself unable to as those terrible eyes froze him to the spot. Yet, as he stood frozen under their gaze, he couldn't help but be reminded of Hao. A brilliant flash of light appeared between him and the creature, causing both to rear back. When his vision returned, he saw a woman, back turned, standing before him. In front of this woman were four glowing cards', the towering beast cried out in outrage and defiance at their brilliance. In response, the woman raised her right hand and chanted something as four bracelets appeared on it. The light given off by the bracelets was akin to a miniature sun forcing him to shield his eyes and look away. From there, he felt the world spin. He heard the beast bellow out one last time as the cries of whaling infants surrounded him. After that, his consciousness drifted until he felt the sensation of solid ground.

Slowly opening his eyes, Jaden found himself on what appeared to be a part of a stone building floating in mid-air. Similar structures dotted the oddly-colored horizon along with a few crumbling towers.

As he got to his feet, he heard four distinct roars. And unlike the beast, he could somewhat make out what these were saying. However, he couldn't focus on that now. A vortex of sickening colors suddenly appeared and began sucking in anything unlucky to be nearby. Every fiber of his being screamed danger as despair burrowed into his chest. But, before he could act on these urges, he heard the terrified screams of people coming from the same direction of the vortex. His terror vanished almost instantly as he rushed towards the screams.

Leaping from platform to platform, he spotted someone clinging tightly to a broken column. With the vortex approaching rapidly, he had no time to waste. He got there with time too spare, grabbing that person's hand just as they lost their grip on the column. This person, Jaden had noticed, was a lot younger than he previously thought. The kid must have been around thirteen or fourteen, with green and red hair, a pair of orange-tinted goggles with a distinct blue star over the lens on the left, and bright red eyes. There were more features he could identify, but he was distracted by the voices- he could hear them now. Clearly and loudly, they chanted the same phrase over and over again.

He glanced around, hoping to find the owners of the voices'. But, all he saw was the advancing vortex. It was at that moment he lost his grip on the kid's hand. He watched helplessly as the kid was swept away by the vortex's dark currents, unable to do anything to stop it. However, soon he to found himself getting sucked towards that black void. And just before he entered - that's when he saw it. A large blue pendulum circled overhead, with the outlines of four dragons surrounding it. He was met with darkness once again; however, that didn't last long. A single word flashed through his mind. Accompanied by an image of a Colosseum, with the letters, L. D. S. carved into its entrance.

In the background, he could still hear the voices chant-

_**"Now we become one!"** _

The room became deathly silent as everyone processed what Jaden just told them. The last time his dreams where this harsh a few of his friends ended up getting possessed, an ancient city rose from the ground, and he had to fight a super old evil ghost hellbent on world domination. Nothing out of the ordinary. But still, Jaden blamed himself somewhat. If he had reacted sooner, then Leo, Yuma, and Carly wouldn't have been dragged into it. This time, however, he was determined to prevent any upcoming disaster. No matter what.

Neos and the others understood why Jaden felt like this, what happened to Yusei and the others affected their friend greatly. It was almost like Duel Acadamie all over again, but this time it wasn't Hao's or Yubel's fault. However, that didn't mean he could just run off without notifying the council. Or, his brother.

One of Jaden's Duel Spirits, Clayman, asked where his vision took place, feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing.

Prompting Jaden to reply with his normal ease, "Maiami." It was the word his dream showed him after all.

"And where is that?" Neos asked.

Jaden's face went blank for a few seconds, eventually answering, "...No clue."

After a few sighs and head shakes from his spirits and an hour within the royal library, Jaden found the location of Maiami. It was a city-state located in the country of Incrociare. This lead to the revelation that Jaden's city-state of New Domino had begun trading with Maiami a few years back, much to Jaden's surprise. And to everyone's exasperation, Jaden declared that getting to Maiami would be a piece of cake now. But, like always, there was a problem. The city-states' of Incrociare were currently at war.

After the monarchy dissolved fourteen years ago, Incrociare split into four main city-states: Maiami, Sincro, Nuovo Cuore, and Academia. There were small towns and villages sprinkled in-between, but the city-states are the main areas of residence. There had been some form of relative peace between the respective city-states; however, last year, Academia suddenly launched an attack against Nuovo Cuore. So far, Maiami and Sincro have declared themselves neutral in this conflict, but how long will it last?

"I know it's risky, but I have to do this! I can't..." His hand clenched as his voice cracked under the weight of his words; "I can't let it happen again."

A kind of stillness came over the library, but eventually, his spirits conceded. However, Jaden had to inform Mr. Moto before going anywhere.

"No sweat guys, I'll send Winged Kuriboh with a message before we catch the next boat."

"Jaden," Card Ejector began trepidly, "what about the Sur-"

"Don't worry about it," Jaden smiled, ruffling the young spirit's hair. "I'll send him a message too... When we can't see the shore anymore, that is."

When Winged Kuriboh departed, Jaden was in the middle of using his magic to sneaking out of the castle. And when he returned, Jaden was in the middle of boarding a passenger liner headed for Maiami. Jaden was wearing his signature red frock coat - buttoned due to the chill of the wind, and had his old leather satchel from school slung over his shoulder. Unfortunately, that red jacket of his didn't help him blend in with the other third-class passengers like he intended to. Jaden stuck out like Kuriboh's wings. Oh well, at least that jacket made it easier for Kuriboh to find him.

"Good to see you back, bud." Jaden gave the kuriboh a gentle head rub before asking, "Did you deliver the message?"

The kuriboh nodded vigorously and produced a letter written by Mr. Moto.

Jaden took the letter from his friend's claws and immediately began to read it's contents.

Winged Kuriboh had already returned to his card when Neos appeared behind Jaden and began to read over the letter himself.

"You need to report back if anything happens," Neos pointed out.

"Don't worry, I will," Jaden said quickly.

"Don't forget about Hao and Yubel," Neos reminded.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jaden sighed, giving he spirit a dismissive wave. "Just need to figure out what to tell them."

"You should just tell them," Banner smiled.

Jaden's head perked up, turning to come face to face with the spirit of his former professor.

"Your relationship with your brother and Yubel has improved tremendously over the last few years. I'm sure if you explain everything to them, they will understand."

"I know." Jaden sighed, running a hand through his unruly dual-colored brown hair. "I just... Don't want anyone to get involved in this, you know? Like, I'm the one who had the vision, so I'm the one who has to deal with it."

"Everyone else might get hurt," he continued privately.

Banner - who previously had been resting inside his cat, Pharaoh, shrugged his shoulders, "It's up to you, Jaden. Though, I don't think your brother is above sending James out to fetch you."

Jaden paled and watched as Banner's spirit return to its ball form and get immediately swallowed by his cat.

"Great, that would be the last thing I need," Jaden grumbled, imagining all the unique and creative ways James could just pluck him from the boat and drag him back to the castle.

"I'm surprised no one has come after us already," Neos added. "They had to have noticed you missing by now."

Winged Kuriboh spoke up, "Kuri, Kuri."

"Hey!"

"He has a point, Jaden. You do tend to wander off on your own without telling anyone."

Before Jaden could retaliate, he finally noticed the glances and awkward stares he was getting from the other passengers.

He forgot, as far as Jaden knew, he was the only one on the ship that could see and communicate with his duel spirits outside of their cards. Jaden gave the on-lookers a small glare.

The ship's horn blared - signaling its departure. And Jaden took this opportunity to make his way to the steerage before drawing more unnecessary attention to himself.

Later that night.

"It's way too crowded down there."

"Kuri, Kuri."

"Winged Kuriboh is right, Jaden. What did you expect? You did buy the cheapest ticket after all." Neos stated.

Pharaoh meowed softly in agreement.

"It's not like I - shit!" Jaden melted into a nearby shadow just as a man with a lantern walked by.

Currently, Jaden, Pharaoh, Neos, and Winged Kuriboh were on the second deck of the ship trying to find a quiet place to send Hao and Yubel a message. Unfortunately, third-class passengers like Jaden weren't allowed to wander the boat at night, unlike the first and second-class passengers. Neos, Kuriboh, and his other duel spirits didn't have to worry about this since no one could see them on the boat except for Jaden and Pharaoh. Meaning, Jaden had to be sneaky and quick. Though, he highly doubted anyone would notice them missing.

There were seven hundred in that room, packed tightly together like cattle. The smell was rancid, the food tasted like one of Pharaoh's hairballs, (don't ask), and there weren't enough beds to go around. Numerous passengers ended up sleeping on the floor instead of a bed. Jaden eventually joined them after giving up one of the few beds he managed to claim for himself to a woman and her child. And then there was the water if you could call it 'water' that is. Yes, there were water summoners and summoners with the affinity for water spells among their group. However, passengers were not allowed to use their magic in tight quarters. And to enforce this rule, magic canceling glyphs were crafted into the walls and floor of the lower deck. They weren't strong enough to hamper Jaden- very few things did- but his magic was Dark Magic, not Water Magic. And braking the seals would draw too much attention, and they couldn't afford that.

There was talk among his fellow passengers about stealing water from the second cabin. Safe to say, Jaden was totally up for that.

"It's not like I'm complaining," Jaden whispered to his translucent winged friend. "I'm going to talk to Aster, or Lazar, or Mr. Moto about this when I get back. People shouldn't be cramped together like that. It's not right."

"Jaden, the message," Neos warned.

"I know!" He hissed softly.

Stealthfully, Jaden jumped from shadow to shadow until he stopped underneath a railing. It was around midnight, the sea was calm, and the moon shone brightly overhead. It was the perfect time to send his brother a message. Closing his eyes, Jaden reached out through the gentle ebony tendrils of his power. Briefly connecting with his twin, Jaden left an impression of a message against the walls of his brother's mind, explaining the current situation and promising to contact him if he ran into trouble. And with that, Jaden withdrew.

It was a curious thing, their connection. Through the power of the Gentle Darkness, the twins could connect their minds and souls. Yet, they couldn't just enter each other's minds. Each had a barrier, (Jaden's was thicker according to Hao), and that barrier prevented the twins from fully communicating. To get around this, the twins started writing on each other's barriers. It was almost like writing on a chalkboard.

Jaden didn't doubt that he would get an irritated message back from his brother; soon.

When the liner finally reached Maiami, Neos, and many other of Jaden's spirits (including Banner), were exhausted. After ten theft attempts on Jaden's deck, Neos and the others decided there should be at least someone out at all times. Jaden wasn't necessarily against this; however, he was worried. Even Duel Spirits need their rest intangible or not.

"Don't worry about it," Jaden whispers to his tired deck. "It's going to be a few hours before the ship docks, get some rest until then."

The summoner received a few reluctant groans of agreement and a contact-me-if-anything-happens from Neos.

Jaden gave his deck a thumbs up before putting the cards in his satchel and securing the claps tightly.

"Hey, Pharaoh-" Jaden lifted the brown tabby into his arms- "do me a favor and help me keep an eye out."

The cat yawned in response.

Initially, Jaden was confused when the ship docked on a small island called Stat Island instead of Maiami's harbor. Until someone explained that this was a quarantine checkpoint, and doctors were looking to see if anyone one board was carrying any dangerous or contagious diseases.

"It makes sense, I guess." Jaden mused privately. "Wouldn't want to risk more people getting sick."

It took four for everyone on the ship to get checked out. And while the doctors were finishing up, Jaden decided to go up to the top deck with the rest of the steerage passengers. He needed fresh air. But, when he arrived, he began sensing strange energy.

It first began as a prick, a small irritation scratching against his mind. He wrote it off as nothing more than fatigue. After all, he had just spent a week packed together with more than a hundred people. However, as the boat got closer to Maiami, that feeling grew stronger. Until finally, it crescendoed. The sensation Jaden felt next was indescribable. Goose flesh crawled up and down his skin, his vision blurred, legs buckled beneath him, and his head began to throb in pain. Amazingly, he still had enough strength to hold onto Pharaoh as he practically collapsed onto the deck of the ship.

Jaden felt like he was sinking. In to what, or where? Who knew. All he knew was whatever kind of magic or energy this was; he was drowning in it. Jaden tried to resist it, but it was like trying to keep his head above water in a stormy sea. A futile attempt. He wanted to move, scream, do anything, but he couldn't. All Jaden could do was let the waves of immense magic crashed into him- over and over. Until finally, he was dragged under by the waves. Beneath this sea of foreign and violent magic, Jaden felt his senses twist in different directions. It was maddening. He wanted to scream, shout, throw-up- anything to make this end.

It did, abruptly.

When Jaden came to, he found himself sitting on the deck of the ship. Trembling and coated with sweat. Pharaoh was still in his arms, but his hold was loose at best.

"W-what was that?" Jaden whispered hoarsely.

Pharaoh rubbed against him with a small meow as if to comfort the young man.

Jaden blinked, the energy was different now. Its oppressive air from before had now given way to a more neutral one. The best way to describe it would be 'natural' like in the spirit world. Which didn't make sense, this wasn't the spirit world, right? It was also energizing like downing one hundred cups of Jack's coffee.

A loud voice suddenly boomed overhead, "Attention! Please! Attention! Passengers with a steerage ticket need tae have their ID tags at the ready! Immigration officers will be bordin' shortly! Those who are tagless will be confined and sent back!"

Jaden shook his head, to only notice that his ID tag was missing.

"Shit," he swore. "Got to find that thing before: There it is!" Nearby was a tag lying face down against the deck of the ship. However, Jaden's relief was short-lived when he saw that there was a giant smudge where his name should be. Digging into his bag, Jaden pulled out a stubby pencil. Quickly, he scribbled his name over the smudge- not even bother reading the passager information above.

From there, Jaden stopped paying full attention, deciding to focus on the magical energy permeating from Maiami instead. Still not convinced that this land's magic was through with him.

After getting his bag checked by an immigration officer, Jaden was put on a small tugboat, with many other passengers, headed towards Ellie Island: The last stop before being let in into Maiami.

After the tugboat docked, Jaden, along with many other passengers from the liner, were shepherded into a large brick building that reminded Jaden vaguely of a train station. Once inside, he, and the other passengers, were shoved into a long line for another medical examination. And once he and Pharaoh got the 'okay' from the doctors, they were then filed into another long line to be interviewed by an inspector.

"Is this information correct?"

Jaden blinked, "Huh?"

"The information on your tag is it correct?" The inspector repeated.

"Uh, yeah," Jaden responded with a suspicious glare.

The inspector grumbled something under his breath Jaden couldn't hear and scrawled a word onto his clipboard with his pen.

"You're free to go. The boat to the mainland is right through those double doors. Welcome to Maiami."

Jaden blinked. "Well, that was quick," he muttered to himself- not realizing that he had spent the entire morning standing in lines.

Finally, arriving at Maiami's docks, Jaden took a moment to take in his surroundings.

Maiami was like New Domino in that it had cobblestone streets, small commuter trains, advertisements printed on almost every building in sight, street vendors, street lights, and noise. Lots and lots of noise. There was even a giant tower, but instead of a large KC printed on the front, it was L.D.S. And, that wasn't the only thing different, most, if not all, the brick building was covered in white plaster. Despite being dirty and cracked in a few places, the plaster gave the city a feeling of luminance and splendor. There were also Duel Spirits; they were everywhere! Floating in the air, riding on people's shoulders- heck, Jaden even saw a few drawing carriages.

Duel Spirits could summon themselves into the human world, but they had to be powerful, and usually, familiars. Like Silent Magician, or the Signer Dragons, or Neos, or even Utopia.

Abruptly, Jaden felt Winged Kuriboh, Neos, and many others call out to him from his deck. Giving the area a cursory glace, Jaden ducked into a nearby ally way. Immediately, Winged Kuriboh and Neos appeared before him. However, instead of being transpicuous, they were here physically.

"Jaden, this lands energy is strange," Neos announced.

"Yeah, no kidding- " Jaden reached out to pet the top of Winged Kuriboh's head while still keeping visual- "you guys are here, here. Without me having to call out to you, or chant anything."

Kuriboh purring at his friend's touch and hovered closer for more.

"So, you have felt it?"

" _'Felt it?'_ " Jaden gave a humorless chuckle, "More like I was swallowed by it."

Neos's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Like, when we first got close to Maiami, it was like the lands magic was trying to swallow me." Jaden continued. "I thought I was going to pass out, but then it stopped suddenly and started gaining energy. I felt like I'd drank Jack's entire stash of coffee."

"Why didn't you call out to us?"

"I didn't think I could; I felt like I couldn't move at all."

"And now?" Neos pressed.

Jaden looked down at his free hand as the other continued to pet Winged Kuriboh; "Still like I drank all of Jack's stash," he shrugged.

Neos nodded, "This lands energy appears to energize duel spirits, it's like-"

"The spirit world, yeah I know. But, why? We're not in one of the eleven dimensions, right? So, why does it feel like we are?"

"I am unsure," Neos answered. "Perhaps the veil is thin here? Or, this city has a close connection to the duel monster spirit world that we were unaware of?"

Jaden hummed at this and turned to Winged Kuriboh, "Hey, Kuriboh. Do you mind doing a look-around for us? And see if there's anything strange with the veil between this city and the spirit world?"

"Kuri! Kuri!" Kuriboh nodded happily before fading from sight.

"And now with that out of the way," Jaden began with a smirk, "let's see where this colosseum is."

Placing a hand on a nearby wall, where the shadows are the darkest, Jaden closed his eyes and concentrated. He was calling upon his powers to see through shadows in hopes of locating the colosseum. However, he was finding the task difficult. Everything was coming at him - sounds, images, movement; Jaden had to step back.

"Man," Jaden grimaced. "What was **that**?"

"What is it?" Neos asked worriedly.

"There was too much," Jaden explained. "Too much was coming at me all at once." His face twisted into a sour expression before adding, "It's like when I try to locate things in one of the twelve duel monster spirit worlds."

Neos narrowed his eyes, "Try it again."

Jaden gave his friend a slight nod before placing his right-hand flat against the brick once more and tried again.

And once again, he was met with the same results.

"Ahhgh! How is Hao able to handle this?!"

"Years of experience and practice, but don't focus on that now," Neos stated. "Picture the colosseum in your mind, Jaden. Let your powers guide you to it."

"E-easy for you to say," Jaden said through gritted teeth. "And here I thought I'd finally got the hang of this!"

"Take a deep breath Jaden, and focus."

Jaden knew that Neos was only trying to help, but the backseat guidance wasn't working. If anything, it was only making him more frustrated.

"Dammit!" He thought. "How did Hao do this again?"

Then he remembered something Crow told him, " _'Look, using shadows to find things or see things is hard. I don't care what anyone says. You have to focus a lot, and that sucks. But, there's a trick to that: Using your diaphragm. It's a muscle below your lungs. It's tough to use a first, but once you get the hang of it, it helps make focusing a lot easier. Here, let me show you...''_ "

Taking a breath with his diaphragm now, Jaden steadied himself and called upon the Gentle Darkness once more. Immediately, Jaden was struck again with the same flashes of images and sounds. However, Jaden continued to use his diaphragm, keeping himself calm and focused. He barely registered his magic flaring up when -

His golden eyes opened. " **Found it,** " he smirked.

It turns out, Jaden didn't have to look that far. The colosseum was located on a small island in the bay with many different bridges attached. He could see the imposing structure from where he was standing. However, it was still quite a walk. Jaden didn't mind though he was still feeling pretty charged. Neos elected to return to the deck, the hero was still feeling uneasy and wanted to monitor things in secret. The entrance was already crammed with people when Jaden arrived.

"Looks like this is it," Jaden whispered, privately comparing all the similarities between this colosseum and the one in his dream.

So far, everything checked out.

"Looks like there's going to be a duel," Jaden said, adjusting his hold on the fat tabby still in his arms.

But how was he going to get in?

An idea flashed through his mind.

"Hey Pharaoh, you're not going to like this, but I have an idea..."

That idea ended up being what he did a week ago on the boat, shadow jumping. But, instead of on a flat surface, Jaden was scaling a building. Nothing new, but he's never attempted a building as high as the colosseum before. Especially; with Pharaoh.

"Sorry about that, bud." Jaden grinned as he sat down on the roof, gently placing the cat beside him. "This was the only thing I could think of."

That earned him a low growl and a quiet hiss.

The colosseum reminded him of the stadium back home, except it lacked a track for turbo duels. Which, Jaden found rather odd. There were traces of Synchro Magic everywhere, yet no sights of D-Wheels or turbo tracks anywhere. That goes for Duel Gazers as well and XYZ Magic too. He was going to have to investigate that later, there was a duel about to take place, and something told him that he shouldn't miss it.

His hunch was proven correct as a man walked out to the center of the colosseum. Instantly, a large magical projection of the man appeared just above the colosseum. The man in question was on the bit of the short side with black hair, a toothbrush mustache, orange tented glasses, and was wearing an arresting black and yellow suit. There was also something about the man that reminded him of Professor Crowler, Jaden just couldn't put his finger on it.

"You fans have been clamoring for this duel, and now it's finally happening!" The man announced.

Jaden was taken back by the sheer volume of the announcer's voice. With a building this large, he had expected some sort of voice projection magic, but this was insane. Jaden could hear him clearly from the roof.

"Three years ago the famous Performer Magician and leader of the Encore Troupe, Yusho Sakaki, failed to defend his title against the Sledgehammer. Now, Sakaki's own son will try to erase that disgrace!"

The projection flashed, changing into two split pictures. On the left was a picture of a muscular, menacing-looking man. With spiked lavender hair, and red paint around his eyes. And on the right- Jaden's world came to an abrupt stop.

It was him, the kid from his dream. Jaden was positive. He recognized that messy head of green and red hair and goggles anywhere. And those eyes: No mistaking it.

"Now let's get this grudge match underway!"

Jaden blinked, snapping back to reality.

The announcer continued, "Here it goes! Time to cast the field spell, Castle of Chaos!"

The arena was instantly enveloped in a warm glow, and from it arose a large, crooked, multi-layered castle surrounded by a deep moat and a thick forest. There were also little trails and bridges leading to and from the lopsided castle. Yet, something felt different to Jaden. Like, this wasn't an ordinary field spell.

"Guys and girls, presenting Leo Insitute's top Summoner and raining champion of Maiami; he's the biggest, he's the badest bruiser to duel, meet the Sledgehammer!"

The projection switched over to the Sledgehammer as he stood on the balcony of the highest tower giving his fans and crowd a mighty roar.

"His challenger is a kid with a mission, everybody, give it up for Yuya Sakaki!"

Yuya was gone. Or perhaps, the kid was never there, to begin with. In any case, the crowd was growing restless (even Jaden could see it) as the announcer continued to call on Yuya to take the stage.

As Yuya continued to be a no show, the crowd suddenly got quite. Jaden was puzzled by this until he looked up at the projection and saw why.

A clown was standing behind the champion. A clown with pink hair, an orange and white jester hat, a purple ruff, an orange and white jacket, and an ugly pair of blue and yellow diamond-patterned pants was standing behind the champion, making funny-faces mocking the man.

It took many people from the audience, calling out for the Sledgehammer to turn around, for him to actually turn around. And when he did, the Sledgehammer came face to face with the mysterious clown making a face at him.

The Sledgehammer made a surprise sound as the clown skillfully jumped back.

"Hey! When did the circus come to town?" The summered asked; confused as to why there was a clown with him.

"It didn't," the clown replied, "I'm your opponent."

Jaden's eyes widened as the clown pulled off his mask, revealing a bed of red and green hair, goggles, and bright red eyes.

It was him. The kid from his dream.

Jaden was hyper-focused now as the duel finally began. For whatever reason, the Gentle Darkness wanted him here. Perhaps this duel will tell him why.

* * *

Something was going to happen, Jaden could feel it.

The air buzzed with a strange energy, a magic Jaden didn't recognize. It had been building since the second half of the duel: Since Yuya summoned Odd-Eyes. Any moment now, something was going to pop - whether it be good or bad. Jaden hoped it was good. He was in no mood for a reenaction of his dream.

Yuya is down to four hundred life points now, and with no monsters on the field, he's wide open to attack. Thankfully, it seems like Battleguard King was still recovering from its last attack, so Yuya was safe for now. But, with Sledgehammer casting that healing spell to increase his life points- Yuya was going to have a hard time coming back.

"Maybe you should pull a disappearing act, kid. After all, like father like son!"

Jaden's eyes narrowed at Sledgehammer's comment; he hated guys like that. But it seems like his words had the intended effect, judging by how Yuya was acting. But then-

Jaden suddenly stood, causing Pharaoh to tumble off his lap. The cat blinked and gave Jaden an annoyed look; however, Jaden wasn't paying attention.

His eyes were that eerie gold now as the air surged with unknown magic; whatever had been building was now about to pop. And pop it did.

"It's time to swing into action! Okay, pendulum you swung his way now you'll swing my way!"

And with that last draw, Yuya was surrounded by a brilliant light.

If it wasn't for the giant projection, Jaden would have missed the light emitting from Yuya's swinging pendant. Or how there was a subtle glow to his red eyes, or how the Yuyu's cards- just for a second- gave off a strange shine.

"I'll use Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician to set the pendulum scale. I'm taking control of this duel starting now!" And with that declaration, Jaden watched as Yuya threw two cards to his far-right and far-left respectively. Immediately, two large columns of light appeared as the two respective magicians travel them to a large pendulum that hung in the sky.

"Swing far pendulum! Carve the arc of victory!"

The air shook under the weight of Yuya's chant as the giant pendulum circled in the air.

"My partners are ready, to swing into action!"

Jaden, Pharaoh, and the rest of the audience watched as three lights descended from the circle. The lights revealed to be a purple cobra with a top hat and a bowtie, a fish-shaped like a sword (also wearing a bowtie), and Odd-Eyes Dragon- who was sporting a new look.

"Jaden..."

He sensed Banner and Neos materialize behind.

"I know, this is only the beginning."

The specters nodded in silence and joined Jaden looking on in silence.


	2. The Star Vs the Summer Flower

"Huh?"

That's all Yuya could say at the moment as he glanced around the now empty colosseum arena. 

He'd been dueling, Yuya was sure of it! Sledgehammer was right there!   
But then, he blacked out. No, that wasn't the best way to describe it. It was more like falling into a deep daydream, where you're kind of aware of your surroundings but not really.

"What's going on?" He asked allowed, desperately glancing around for an explanation for what just happened.

That's when he saw the Sledgehammer lying on the ground just a few feet away from him, defeated. 

"Huh?!"

"What happened to the Sledgehammer?" There was innocence and worry dripping from his voice.

"You defeated him!"

Yuya's mother's voice cut through his confusion like a knife, causing him to turn in her direction. He looked up towards the Maenianum Primum seats and spotted his mother, Yuzu, her father (who was currently balling his eyes out), and Gong.

"Your father would be proud! Good work, Yuya. You dueled like a champion!" His mother called out to him. 

"You were unbelievable!" Yuzu cheered. 

"Even Gong was impressed!" Gong added. 

"He's our star pupil!" Yuzu's father finally cried. 

With all this praise, the young summoner couldn't help but give his audience a broad smile. Yuya had dreamed of this moment his entire life. To be here, in the colosseum's arena, being cheered on by hundreds of people shouting his name. He soaked it up like a flower to the sun. He was here; he finally made it- just like his father.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Yuya had bearly noticed the announcer running over to him until it was too late. The man had already grabbed his hand, asking him about the new summoning magic that he performed in his duel against the Sledgehammer.

Which, Yuya dutifully replied with, "New summoning what?"

* * *

  
After leaving the Colosseum, Yuya was met with another surprise. 

"Odd-Eyes, you look totally different now!"

They were currently standing in the park- Yuya, his mother, Yuzu, her father, and Gong. They were returning to their encampment when Odd-Eyes suddenly appeared before them to show off his new look.

"Amazing, right?!" The dragon grinned as he gave his audience another twirl.

Odd-Eyes was currently in his human form; his appearance was that of a man in his early twenties- with long dark brown hair tied back in a low ponytail. His outfit, (which was what changed the most), consisted of a long red tailcoat trimmed with gold, and equally red waistcoat, a long black tunic, a pair of red knee-high armored boots, two large blue orbs that acted like shoulder-pieces, gauntlets with two different colored stones in the center; yellow on the left and green on the right, black fingerless gloves, and a red cape (also trimmed with gold). His previous form pales in comparison. Before, Odd-Eyes was a lot shorter, around Yuya's height, with short choppy hair. He had worn a simple red tunic with a black waistcoat and a baldric. The only thing that seemed to remained the same was his fair skin and his heterochromia eyes- red on the right and green on the left. 

"Even my sword is different!" The dragon gave his audience a toothy grin before pulling it out of its scabbard.

Before, it had been a normal-looking arming sword with a gold cross-guard. But now, Yuya bearly recognized it.

The sword was slightly longer, made out of red and gold medal with a much more pointed end. The cross-guard was both gold and red now- larger and vaguely shaped like the letter V. A blue orb was located in the center of the guard with a smaller matching orb in the middle of the pommel. The grip virtually remained the same, except, it was red now instead of brown

"This is an exquisite sword," Gong stated. 

Taking a small step forward, Gongenzaka outstretched his hand- silently asking permission to hold Odd-Eyes's new weapon. 

The dragon's grin widened at the praise and readily handed him the sword.

There was a touch of a smile on Gong's face as he carefully turned the sworn in his hands. 

"This sword is tricky," he began, "it may not look like it - with the orbs and such- but this is a very well balanced sword."

Odd-Eyes nodded at this; "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. And a whole lot better than my last one." 

Satisfied with his inspection, Gong bowed and gently handed the sword back to Odd-Eyes, who gave it one more cursory glance before sliding it back into its scabbard. 

"Yuya," Yuzu spoke up. "Have any other cards become Pendulum cards too?"

"Yeah-" Yuya reached down and pulled out his deck from its holder- "like half of them. But here's the weird thing, they still look the same."

To emphasize this, he held up Timegazer's card. 

The group gasped. 

The artwork on the card had virtually remained the same, but its background color was now split vertically, with half being a monster card and half spell card. There were also two arrows on either side of the card's text box, one being red and the other blue with the number eight below.

"I've never seen a card like that," Yuzu's father said as he stepped forward to get a better look. 

"Are they alright?" Yuzu asked worriedly. "Maybe you should check on them?"

Yuzu was right! He was so caught up with his victory against the Sledgehammer, that he forgot to check on his monsters. 

"They're fine."

The group turned towards Odd-Eyes.

"I spoke with them before coming here," he clarified. "They're a little freaked out. But, I mean, who wouldn't?"

Yuya breathed a sigh of relief, but he still wanted to check on everyone once he had a chance to be alone. 

"It's getting late," his mother smiled. "You had a big day today, why don't we return to camp so I can whip us up a victory feast?" 

Yuya smiled at his mother's suggestion and nodded. 

However, rest would be elusive to them.

* * *

  
When Yuya and the others returned to the caravan, it was over-run with people wanting to learn Pendulum Magic. 

It took them a while, but Yuzu and the others finally got people to form an orderly line around her father's big top tent. Still, it was a novelty to witness. So many people wanted to learn Pendulum Summoning, and the day wasn't even over yet. 

"The Encore Troupe is highly selective, but if you fill out this document I can almost guaranty you'll get in." 

Yuzu was currently standing on a stool addressing the large crowd of eager, (and possible), recruits with a large red megaphone while holding up a form for everyone to see. Beside her stood a scowling Gong with his arms crossed, and in-between them was a large stack of the previously mentioned forms just waiting to be signed. 

Gong was there to keep the crowd under control- his dominating presence had that effect on people. He did this for them a lot, especially during performances where spectators got overly rowdy.

And speaking of overly rowdy, Yuzu was still having a hard time believing that all these people were here because of Pendulum Magic. Their group had been suffering financially, and from the lack of members, for a while now- which didn't surprise her. No one practiced the old ways of learning magic, not since the dark times. But perhaps now, things might be looking up for their Troup. 

That thought made Yuzu grin. 

She gazed over the crowd, as one by one, people stepped up to take a form. But then, she paused. 

Most of the people swarming outside of their tent were around her and Yuya's age, or a little younger- the person she was looking at was older. A lot older. He looked around the age of nineteen or twenty, he was tall (at least as tall as her father), and a bit on the scraggly side. His hair was short and fluffy with two different tones of brown; actually, it reminded her of a kuriboh. The man wore a bright red frock coat with a worn leather satchel slung over his left shoulder. There was also a cat- a large brown tabby resting on his head as if it was perfectly natural. The guy stood a bit away from the crowd with his arms crossed. He looked pensive to Yuzu, if not a little unsure. 

Their eyes briefly met, and he flashed her a small smile.

The stranger seemed friendly enough, but still, something didn't feel quite right.

She turned towards Gong intending to say something only to find that, yes, Gong has spotted him too. And judging by his hard stare, their feelings were mutual. 

Yuzu was about to speak when she was interrupted from behind by the two youngest members of their Troupe- Ayu and Futoshi. 

"What's up Yuzu?"

Yuzu turned around and addressed the children with a smile; "Oh, hi Ayu-hey there Futoshi. Did you guys come out to help me?"

"Yes!" Futoshi answered. "Our parents sent us here to help out since this place was getting overrun with outsiders."

"Where is your father anyway?" Ayu asked. 

Yuzu gave the children a weary smile, "Apparently, while we were out, the Leo family delivered some new field spell cards. They were the prize for winning against the Sledgehammer. My dad wanted to inspect them personally. I think he wants to adopt them into our family..."

"Yuya saved the Troupe- now everyone wants to join!" Ayu grinned. 

Before Yuzu could speak, she was interrupted by someone in the crowd.

"You teach all the members here how to Pendulum Summon, right?" 

"I uh... Yes!" Yuzu stated, quickly trying to cover up her hesitation. 

Honestly, she wasn't so sure. Yuya just invented Pendulum Summoning today, and he's yet to teach everyone else in their group. Oh well, he'll just have to teach them along with everyone else.

"Friends and fans, gather round!"

Speak of the devil. 

  
After nearly being trampled by their eager crowd, Yuzu and the others finally entered the tent. 

As made their way to the center ring, Yuzu heard whispers of:

"Wow!"

"This place is huge!"

"It's bigger on the inside than the outside!"

Yuzu couldn't help but giggle at that last one; she often forgot that not many people were familiar with Spatial Magic like she was.

When they got down to the bottom, Yuya was already standing in the center along with Hip-Hippo and Odd-Eyes- the spotlight shining down on them from above.

"Welcome one and all to the Yuya Spaticular-"

"WHAT!"

Instantly, Yuya felt the back of his head connect with Yuzu's famous fan. 

"This isn't all about you!" She shouted. "Someone else will be dueling too!" 

The crowd booed at this, causing Yuzu's anger to flare. 

"Alright then," she growled with a smile. "You want to treat me like a villain, then that's exactly what I'll be!"

"Yuya! I can see being in the limelight has already soured your ego! But soon, you'll be singing a different tune after I own this dual!" 

Yuya was initially confused over his friend's anger until she whispered that he needed to say something back to her. 

"You must be Sledgehammer's sidekick!" He declared dramatically.

Odd-Eyes chuckled at this.

"Sledgehammer's sidekick?!" Yuzu grimmest. 

"I recognize you now, Gavel Girl," he proclaimed, not noticing the menacing aura surrounding her. "I'll use my Pendulum power to woop you too!" 

Over on the sidelines, Futoshi and Ayu, along with Gong and her father, watched as Yuzu and Yuya, once again, launched into another argument. 

"Wow, listen to them! They're fired up!" Futoshi exclaimed. 

Ayu felt a sweat drop form on her face; "Or, something like that."

But then she turned toward Yuzu's father and pleaded, "Hurry up and throw a field spell down, so this duel can get underway!" 

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Ayu!" He grinned. 

"Alright then! Let's get this show on the road!" And with that, Yuzu's father drew a random card from the stack of new field spells and threw it in the center of the ring. 

Instantly, the tent and audience disappeared in wild golden sparks, transporting the two to a warm green meadow with a small trickling creek nearby, and a wide-open sky above them. 

This Arc Field Spell never ceased to amaze Yuzu. She could feel the gentle breeze blowing threw her hair, the sound of songbirds in the distance, and smell the scent of wild-flowers scattered at her feet- it was almost like they were in the actual Duel Monster Spirit World. 

But enough of that. 

Yuzu knew this field spell well, so naturally, she was the one the began the Encore Troupe's traditional chant. 

"Summoner's locked in battle!"

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuya joined in.

"They storm through this field!"

"Behold!"

"This is the oldest and greatest way of dueling!"

Then they both shouted:

"ENTERTAINMENT DUEL!"

And with the snap of their white cloaks, they were off.

* * *

  
"I go first," Yuya declared. "And I'll start off summoning my familiar, Performapal Hip Hippo!"

He grinned as he drew a card from his hand and threw it down on the ground. In a flash of light, Hip Hippo appeared- tipping his tophat to the invisible audience. 

_**"Come on, Yuya, let's go!"**_ The hippo Duel Spirit declared as his partner jumped on his back. 

Yuzu grinned, "You're not going to get far! It's my turn!"

Instantly, a pink baton formed in her hand as she threw a card to the ground. 

"I summon Aria, the Melodious Diva!"

Then, pointing with her baton, Yuzu declared an attack.

"Aria, attack! Bring Yuya's familiar to a halt! Piercing Note!" 

And it would have hit too if Yuya didn't grab an action spell. 

"You think you've escaped? But Aria can still belt out some damage!" Yuzu declared.

"Since her attack failed, she can use her special ability to reduce your life points by eight hundred! Resinating Wave!"

That got them. 

After a little more back and forth between the two, Yuya finally pulled out his Pendulum cards and declared it was time to, 'swing into action' much to the delight of the crowd and Yuzu's anticipation.

_My duel with the Sledgehammer a blur,_ Yuya admitted quietly to himself. _Luckily, Gong gave me the play by play- I'll just do what I did then._

Holding up two cards, Yuya declared, "First I'll use my monsters to set the Pendulum Scale with Odd-Eyes and Timegazer, I'm good to go."

Throwing their cards to the far-right and far-left, Odd-Eyes and Timegazer Magician emerged and were lifted into the air by two blue columns of light. 

Everyone was chanting now: "Pendulum! Pendulum!" Over and over again. 

Yuya closed his eyes and smiled to himself. 

If that's what his audience wants, that's what they're going to get!

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, it's time to Pendulum Summon, and swing into action."

And with Swordfish's and Whipsnakes cards' in hand, he threw them to the ground.

Nothing happened. 

"What the? Where are they?" Yuya said, glancing around nervously. 

He bent down and picked up his cards, whispering, "Hey Swordfish, and Whipsnake, get out here!" 

The translucent spirits of Whipsnake and Swordfish appeared beside him; _**"We're trying Yuya!"**_ Whipsnake exclaimed. _**"But you're doing it wrong... Somehow."**_

Yuya gave his monsters a subtle pleading glance. 

**_"Don't look at us kid,"_** Swordfish shook his head; _**"we don't know how to do it either."**_

Yuya looked back down at their cards.

_What did I do wrong?_ He asked himself. _I've gotta think back... If I'm remembering right, it was just after Sledgehammer took out Odd-Eyes, and I was on the brink of losing it seemed like I didn't have a chance._

Then it dawned on him.

_That must be it! I was in major trouble, and that's when I was able to Pendulum Summon. It will only work when I'm in a jam!_

"I'm ending my turn now!" He declared. "Alright, Yuzu, come at me!"

Yuzu was taken aback by this; "You want me to attack?!"

"That's right," Yuya smiled confidently, "throw everything you've got my way."

Yuzu looked over at Aria, who just shrugged. 

"If you say so, Yuya. I'll start my turn now!"

It was Yuzu's turn to grin, "Whenever there's a Melodious taking center stage on my field, I can summon one of the greatest singers to have ever sung!"

Throwing a card on the ground, she pointed to it with her baton and shouted, "That's your cue, Sonata, the Melodious Diva!"

Yuzu's baton flickered pink before a bright green light admitted from the card. In a flash, Sonata appeared before her. 

As if she was conducting an invisible orchestra, Yuzu waved her baton and shouted: "Now, I'll tribute this duet and combine their melodies to summon my familiar!"

Yuya watched as Aria and Sonata floated into the air and disappeared in a flash of pink light. 

With her baton a glow, Yuzu began her chant.

"Enchanting melody echoing in heaven. Awaken the sleeping virtuoso. Come forth! Mozarta, the Melodious Maestra!"

Grinning up at her familiar, Yuzu continued, "To start her concert, she'll perform her special ability! By performing the perfect note, she's able to summon a Melodious Diva!"

Yuzu's grin widened as she watched Mozarta wave her hands until an orange card appeared before her. 

Passing the card gently to Yuzu, Yuzu's grin sharpened before throwing it into the air. "Welcome back, Aria!"

Yuya paled, and Hip-Hippo took a nervous step back. They had a pretty good idea of what Yuzu was planning. 

"Her harmonies will overwhelm your hippo! Aria, sing a tune that will floor Yuya's monster!"

True to form, Hip-Hippo was immediately hit with Piercing Note and disappeared in a spark of light. 

Yuya gritted his teeth and covered his face with his arm as he endured the fall-out from the attack. But still, Yuya grinned and silently thanked his familiar.

Turning to face Yuzu, Yuya spread his arms and shouted, "Now, hit me with a high note!"

"Exactly what I had in mind!" Yuzu shouted back. "Mozarta! Bring down the house with your most powerful song!"

Mozarta was already floating high above them when she received the order. Spreading her piano-patterned wings, Mozarta pulled out her baton and began to sing. As she did so, a powerful airstream began to build around her. As soon as her wings turned green, Yuzu shouted the attack.

"Graceful wave!"

"Awesome," Yuya whispered as the powerful wave of air came hurling towards him. "Okay, it's make or break! It's the perfect time to Pendulum Summon!" 

With that declaration, Yuya once again threw Swordfish's and Whipsnakes cards' onto the field. And once again, nothing happened. 

Odd-Eyes and Timegazer winced from above as they watched their partner go flying off the field, hitting the tent's elastic walls. 

With the duel over and the field spell fading, Odd-Eyes exchanged a small nod with Timegazer before jumping down and running over to where Yuya landed- leaving only Yuzu and Mozarta the only one's remaining on the field.

Yuya's head was still sore as Odd-Eyes helped him to his feet. 

"At least Mozarta didn't go full force this time," the dragon joked.

That didn't make Yuya feel better, especially when Yuzu stalked towards him with her hands on her hips- (never a good sign)- demanding if that was his idea of a gag. 

Mozarta followed behind her partner, smiling and choosing not to get involved. Like normal.

"I wasn't joking around! Honestly!" Yuya shouted, wincing at the volume. 

Yuzu fixed him with a stern look that would make a weaker man squirm, "You better not be lying."

After that, things went downhill. 

The crowd quickly left after discovering that Yuya didn't know how to use Pendulum Magic. Many called him a cheater, which earned the ire of Odd-Eyes evident by how his eyes narrowed into slits at their comments.

Also, Yuzu's father was trampled by the crowd on their way out.

Silently, Yuya placed his goggles over his eyes and began to make his way out of the tent. 

He felt like a failure, a chump- someone who didn't deserve to be called a Performer Magician. Not like his father anyway. 

Yuzu tried to stop him from retreating, but he ignored her. 

But then a voice suddenly broke through his self-deprivation.

"Those kids were wrong! You're no cheater, Yuya!"

Yuya turned around to find a child. 

The kid was around Ayu's and Futoshi's age with short blue hair and gray eyes. He wore a white button-up shirt with a brown vest and beige short trousers, and high white stalkings. Yuya noted their quality, which begged the question: What was someone well off like him, doing in a place like this?

The boy continued.

"You're the greatest duelist any of us ever saw! You didn't need tricks to beat the Sledgehammer; you won fair and square!"

Behind his goggles, Yuya's eyes widened.

"Tell them all your Pendulum Magic was real," the boy finally demanded. 

Yuya turned to face the boy just as Gongenzaka stepped up to speak.

"Yuya, you should stand up and defend yourself instead of making your biggest fan do all the work."

Yuya blinked, and Odd-Eyes smirked. 

"M-my biggest fan?"

"And your only one, apparently," Yuzu smiled sympathetically. 

"I've seen him in the audience a lot during our shows, he never misses."

The child approached him, "You were amazing, Yuya! When you were dueling, it was like magic. You, and your monsters, brought thousands of fans together, I want to do the same thing someday. I'll learn to duel just like you!" 

"It's the greatest feeling in the world to make people so happy," Yuya began. "And now I'm about to walk away from it forever..." His shoulders began to shake as he clenched his fist. 

"I don't know... I would like to keep dueling but-"

Gong's voice boomed, "Then pick up your deck, and prove to everybody that what happened in the duel wasn't a fluke!" He demanded. 

"You think I can?" He asked solemnly.

"Gong knows you can! You owe it to..."

"Tatsuya," the blue-haired child supplied. "Tatsuya Yamashiro."

"Count us too!" Futoshi and Ayu shouted before they raced over to Tatsuya's side.

Futoshi continued, "The promotion match may have been a disaster, but at least we have one new student."

"New student?!" Yuzu's father was instantly on his feet. 

"Where is he?" He shouted as he raced towards the others. Has he made the payment yet? I'm so fired up! Go, You Show!" 

The group chuckled at this.

With a small smile on his face, Yuya finally took off his goggles. 

"As a Performer Magician, I guess I can't let my fans down." 

Odd-Eyes's smile widened as Yuya continued:

"I promise you guys I'm going to master Pendulum Magic!"

"You can count me in too!"

Startled by the new voice, everyone turned towards the entrance only to find a man standing there with an old fat tabby on his head and a Winged Kuriboh on his shoulder. 

"My name is Jaden Yuki, and I want to join the Encore Troupe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done, AND on time!
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment or a review!

**Author's Note:**

> Hiii! Thank you for reading this! I love Yu-Gi-Oh, and I need more fics where Jaden and Yuya interact. But, I can't duel, so fantasy AU. As mentioned in the tags, this is like 4th in the series, but the first installment. 
> 
> I want to try mastering explaining things through dialogue instead of basic description. So, feel free to make guesses and predictions!
> 
> I'm cross-posting this story from my fanfiction account under the same name. 
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback, or comments, or anything!
> 
> Also, are we allowed to post pictures with our fic? Thanks!


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